Survey of angler's internet posts confirmed the occurrence of freshwater fishes of the genus Ictiobus (Rafinesque, 1819) in natural waters of Czechia

Abstract

The information regarding the fish species occurrence in rivers and lakes depends on the quantity and quality of ichthyofaunal surveys. Non-native buffalo fishes, Ictiobus cyprinellus and I. niger (Catostomidae) were introduced to pond aquaculture in the 20th century but since that time they have never been recorded from the natural environment in Europe. Forensic analysis was performed using online data from Czech anglers websites to test whether these fishes were ever caught. In total 13 records were obtained but only 3 were verified in terms of species identification, locality and date. The found records are scattered throughout the area of Czechia and they are without an obvious distribution pattern. The analysis of online fishing web sites can be considered a suitable source of additional information on the occurrence of fishes. Keywords: anglers / non-native / Czech Republic / CatostomidaeRésumé -L'étude des messages Internet des pêcheurs à la ligne a confirmé la présence de poissons d'eau douce du genre Ictiobus (Rafinesque, 1819) dans les eaux naturelles de la Tchéquie.

Freshwater Fish Invasions: A Comprehensive Review

“…Similarly, posts and conversations on social media can also be useful sources of information, as they may contain photos, species names, and/or be geo-referenced (Daume and Galaz, 2016). For example, the introduction of the non-native buffalo fish (Ictiobus cyprinellus and I. niger) into Czech rivers was detected from anglers' posts on online forums and websites (Kalous et al, 2018). Prevention and early response are recognized as the most effective (and cheapest) ways to manage invasive nonnative species (Leung et al, 2002).…”

‘Many eyes on the water’: The role of citizen science in freshwater conservation

“…Specialized forums are popular among recreational anglers, who are increasingly using social and other digital media to share their experiences and their catches, providing useful data for understanding fishing trends and dynamics, and managing fish populations (Lennox et al, 2022). Kalous, Nechanská & Petrtýl (2018) were able to identify the presence of two invasive fishes – the bigmouth buffalo Ictiobus cyprinellus and the black buffalo Ictiobus niger (Catostomidae) – in the Czech Republic based on images obtained from angler websites: 13 records were obtained, but only three were verified for species identity, date, and location. Similarly, as a result of screening Facebook groups, in 2015 a population of the introduced red swamp crayfish Procambarus clarkii was found (and confirmed) to be present at the border of a national park hosting the protected native crayfish Austropotamobius pallipes in Central Italy, thus enabling management actions for this newly arrived species.…”

Invasion Culturomics and iEcology

“…This can be accomplished either through assessment of digital data by expert teams or through machine-learning methods. For example, Kalous et al (2018) identified the presence of two invasive fishes in the Czech Republic based on images obtained from angler websites (Fig. 2a).…”

“…For example, Kalous et al. (2018) identified the presence of two invasive fishes in the Czech Republic based on images obtained from angler websites (Fig. 2a).…”

“…in natural environments in the Czech Republic (Kalous et al. 2018), (b) global distribution of Rose–ringed Parakeet ( Psittacula krameri ) based on relative search volumes (Google Trends), BirdLife and Birds of the World data (purple and yellow areas), and eBird distribution data (red points), and (c) directed network of the second–order linked–out species from the English Wikipedia for the brown tree snake ( Boiga irregularis ) page (node size, relative to number of views each page received from 1 July 2015 to 28 November 2019; arrows, direction of web links between pages; node, taxonomic group; edge colors major interaction types between species). See Appendix S1 for method details.…”